I am seeing an increasing number of fraud meeting and conference announcements being distributed by e-mails and posts, and articles with warnings about them.

Why would someone create a phony event? Apparently, the scam is to get academics to pay registration fees, often with the added phishing bait of offering you a speaking slot.

Adam Ruben is one academic who almost fell for a scam conference and reported it online. He writes:

"It was a proud moment for me as a scientist. A few years ago, on a random Tuesday morning, I opened my laptop and found an email inviting me to speak at an international scientific conference in Dalian, China.

“Wow!” I thought. “Someone has heard about my work! I’ve never been to China! This will be a life-changing, career-benefiting experience!”

I was so excited that I showed my colleague at the next desk. “Look!” I said. “I’ve been invited to speak in China!”

Without saying anything, she quickly searched her own email. The result was a whole “Deleted Files” folder full of invitations for her to speak at international conferences.

“These are like junk mail,” she explained. “I get these every day. I think a lot of scientists do.”

I received the same email (from "Miranda") recently. It said it was a follow-up, but it was the first email I received.

It announced that the World Education Day-2017 (WED-2017), with a theme of “Inheritance, Innovation, Development, and Philanthropy” would be held during September 27-29, 2017 in Dalian, China.

It wasn't just an event flyer, it asked me to be "the chair/speaker for Block 1: Educational Leadership Forums: Higher Education."

They must really respect my breadth of knowledge because Miranda said that if the suggested thematic session is not my "current focused core" then I could just "look through the whole sessions and transfer another one that fit your interest."

So, is this a real conference?

It is hard to tell. The have a website. If you do a search, it comes up at the top of the results. It lists speakers with impressive credentials. Does that make it any more real or legitimate?

The site is worldeduday.org (no hotlink from me - why give them more traffic).

Even if the conference is actually going to happen, you have to question the way they solicit speakers. Call for proposals? Skip that - call for acceptances.

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Omer on Sunday, December 31. 2017:

Hello Ken,
I recently read your post about the conference. My boss was invited to go and we registered and paid.
Have you heard anything else about the conference? Is it real? Will there be anything at all when we arrive at the hotel?
Or is it a case of a 'real' conference but without academic merit or value?
I hope to hear from you soon, We are new to the conference circuit and were unaware until this week of its more "shady" aspects...

Ken Ronkowitz on Sunday, December 31. 2017:

Omer
I have had several people email with similar concerns, but no one who actually attended.
As far as I could discern, it is an real conference. Their method of obtaining speakers is questionable and the screening process for proposals is also less than stringent.
That said, having been on the presenting and organizing sides of conferences, I know that the more speakers you accept, the more guaranteed attendees you will get. I think that is their strategy.
For me, the cost would be prohibitive anyway, but I wouldn't include them on my own list of conferences to attend/present.
I'd like to hear your reactions if you do attend.